Photovoltaic devices provide reliable sources of electrical energy. Thin film photovoltaic devices are particularly advantageous since they are relatively low in cost, flexible, and capable of being manufactured in relatively large sizes by continuous deposition processes. Such thin film devices can be encapsulated in transparent, durable, flexible polymeric bodies, and are ideally suited for building mounted installations.
These thin photovoltaic film panels can be applied to roofs by adhering the film panels directly to the roof. An adhesive can be placed on the bottom of the film panel to which a backing material is attached. The backing material can be removed and the film panel placed on the roof so that the adhesive will adhere the film to the roof. These photovoltaic film panels can be applied to the roof in areas where the roof receives sufficient sunlight.
The electricity of the photovoltaic film panels is transmitted to contact terminals which typically extend from one end of the photovoltaic area of the panel, and may be connected to a junction box or other connector device for transmitting to supply power to the building or into the electricity grid that supplies a city or an area.
The thin photovoltaic film can be placed on a roll or reel and supplied to a roof by unrolling the film and removing the backing and pressing the adhering film to the roof. This manual process is a very labor intensive procedure and sometimes resulted in the photovoltaic film not being properly adhered to the roof. Roofs are subjected to high winds and other weather conditions that may damage or remove the photovoltaic material.
A machine and method are needed for applying the photovoltaic film panels to roofs to save labor costs and to improve reliability of the adhesion of the film panels to the roof. The hand cutting of the metal panels to which the solar panels are attached is a labor intensive task.